Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1887-04-08
HE HAS BEEN HANGED ONCE
A Protest Against tho Second Hang
ing of n Citizen OF New Mexico.

Ne,0 York Sun writes: Friends of Tho
odore Baker. now confined in the peni
tentary here under the sentence o
death for the murder of man In Eas
Colfax County, this Territory. think |
particularly hard that he should b.
compelled to mount tho gallows. Th'
Territorial Supreme Court has jus
rendered decision in his case affirm
ing the sentence of death, and fixinl
the date Of his execution on the 18th
this month. The prisoners friend
will see if they cannot get the case be-
fore the United States Supreme Court
on the ground that Baker has once
been hanged for the crime. and tha
the proposal to hang HIM again Is IN
violation of the Const tut on OF th'
United States which declare that
man shall not be twice put in leopard,
for the same oilense.
Bakers crime was the killing o
Frank uhruh. u tile more than yea
ago. Uhruh was surveyor. ant
Baker had been asked bv him to keel
a watch upon affairs at Uhruh's ranci
while tho latter was absent In tht
way Baker aud Mrs. Uhruh struck NJ
an intimacy, which lasted for SOM
time. Concerning the denounmen
there are conf citing stories. Baker ant
the woman say that Uhruh attacked
Baker. and that the shooting was IL
self-delense. Neighboring ranche'
assert, however. that the liaison wa
notorious, and that Baker and the wo
man had more than once threatened {,
make way with Uhruh. The position
in which the body of the murderc,
man was found. and the fact that bul
let-marks in the wall of the room indi
Gated that the shooting was all on on
side, and served 10 fix the guilt upoi
Baker. The prisoner is Young man o
more than ordinary intelligence, anc
the woman, who is now in Jail D..
Springer awaiting trial as an accessory
is prepossessng in appearance r
As soon as Baker was placed undo
arrest he was conveyed to Springer
where he was ezed by a moo ant
lynched before he could he put in Jail
Murders had been of frequent occur
renee in that vicinity. and il was enough
for the crowd to kpow that tho officer
had man cha, gJd with that crime
is not probesg that one man in ten wh,
participate in the lynching OF Bake
knew ~, thing about the circum
stanlc of the crime W tn which he wa
cbSsged. Having hanged him in tn,
Egulation style. to the limb of tre,
and fastened tho loose end of the rop,
to the trunk. the mob watched TIL,
dangling body for few M nutes ant
then left the spo d Wiling up among
the various saloons of the town, whcr,
the incident created only II passing sen.
sation. While the incident was go nt
on the sheriff was watching affairs near
by. and as soon as he saw the GROVE
disperse he ran quickly 10 the hanging
form and cut it down. With the assist
ance of a deputy he carried the body tt
the back door of the jail, and on enter
ing that building and Civ ng orders no
TO be disturbed he proceeded, with th'
assistance of u phys clan. to revive hii
prisoner. Baker had been hanging b.
the neck for ten minutes when he wa
cut down. and at least fifteen minute,
more elapsed before the sherff had hin
in the ia |. All this time the prisoner
was unconsc GUS and apparently life
less. But the sheriff went to work OF
HIM with great energy. and after hal
an hour Of rubbing and the application
internally and externally OF spirits h,
was rewarded by seeing the man who
had been hanged open his eyes ane
look wonderingly about him. All tina
night the sheriff never left his charg,
for minute, and by morning Of tn,
next day he had Baker sufficiently re
vived to breathe With regularity and t.
eat in a mechanical way some light
food
Thus far no one in Springer knew o
the recovery except the Sheriff, his dep
uty and the doctor, and Il was decidec
that the matter should be kept pro
found secret until Baker could be re
moved to Santa Fe for safe keeping
This was accomplished dur ng the fol
lowing week, and the man who haC
had such a strange experience was plac
ed under the care of competent phys
clans here. At first Baker could no.
talk at all, but gradually h, thoughts
became more collected, and on severa
occasions he descr rbed TO visitors, III
Sun correspondent among them. hi
sensations as he was hanging from th'
limb from which ho had been loosel,
swung. For six months he suffered in
:onscly from pains n the head and from
dizziness. sometimes becoming almos
deranged, being unconscious Of his sur
During these periods h.
would live over again his experience q
a rope's end and on recovering h
would be weak and greatly depressed
in spirits On his trial the facts as Il
his previous execution we're ignored
though half a dozen men from Spring
or were present and ready to swea
that the real Baker had been hange,
once for the murder of Uhruh. Th'
Identification of the prisoner was com
plete, of course, but no amount of tes
tlmony will ever satisfy the Springer
ties that the man now in custody here j.
the one they lynched. Among th,
most active fl ends Of the prisoner nov
are the men who helped to hang him
and if thew have any influence he vii
not again 60 to the rope.
Although under the decision Of tn.
Territor al Supreme Court Baker mus
hang week from next Friday. 1t is tn,
general belief that he will be respite,
for thirty DAYS at least, to give hi
friends time TO make some efforts In hi